Vox pop

The Design Business Association is recruiting a new chief executive following the departure of Ian Rowland-Hill (DW 8 August). What should be top of his or her agenda?

‘Design continues to be misunderstood, under-valued and viewed as an aloof and irrelevant area. No one design consultancy can change all that, especially as we compete against one another in a free market economy. But the DBA can rise above that and focus on creating new and better ways to measure and demonstrate the value of good design to businesses.’

Jeremy Sice, Managing director, SAS

‘The promotion of design as a vehicle for businesses to ‘make money’ must be top of the agenda. The design industry and the DBA must promote design as a necessary expense for commercial success, or always be thought of as a dispensable “nicety”.’

Glenn Taylor, Managing director, Stocks Taylor Benson

‘Having spent the majority of my career in advertising and now with responsibility for both a design and ad agency, I am fascinated by the different approaches to remuneration between the two sectors. In particular, the advertising industry seems more progressed in its approach to payment-by-results. A fresh look at this issue would be my priority.’

Crispin Reed, Group managing director, Springer & Jacoby Group UK

‘I can’t help feeling a fondness for the DBA. It’s rather like the Mother’s Union – a recognisable fixture in our society, but rather ineffectual. But why is this? The design community is a very broad church and, in trying to be all things to all men, it is very easy to become nothing to everyone. Agenda items for the visionary PR specialist taking over the helm? A search for valuable commonalities.’

Tim Greenhill, Managing director, Basten Greenhill Andrews

‘The DBA must continue to raise our clients’ expectations, so that it is only satisfied with the best possible design solutions offering not only visual, but commercial benefits. In turn, it must throw its full support behind designers who promote this more holistic view of the industry- the delivery of solutions rather than design – thereby creating a clearly differentiated class of highly professional design service providers.’